[amandureja]

Hey everyone!  I just bought the ATH-M50 and I freakin' love it!!!
 
It is the best 'phone I have ever tried in my life!
 
However, I am experiencing a slight 'problem'.  On my iPod, when the volume is over halfway, there is some leak.  When it is about 75% and higher, there is enough leak for someone 6-10 feet away to hear exactly what song you are listening to.  Is this normal?  Did I get a defective unit?  If it is normal, is there any way to supress the leak without losing quality?
 
Thanks!

 

[Selenium]

I only find that there's any sort of audible leakage when I have the volume jacked to what's probably damaging levels. Are you just in a small, really quiet room or something? Because I would think that might make a difference. I've taken then off and pressed the earcups together at work a few times just for curiosity's sake, and have only been able to hear faint indistinguishable sound coming from them, and that's why my ears being like a foot away. But that's being in a big open office, with some sort of mechanical noise usually in the background.

 

[amandureja]

Yeah.  It was  night, all quiet, and I did take them off, and it woke up my dad (full volume) who was sleeping about 50 feet away :$
 
So I take it that this is normal?

 

[Smallville]

Well, of course it'll leak when you take it off. When you wear it, it shouldn't leak much UNLESS you're trying to blow your eardrums out

 

[amandureja]

well, when i took it off, i had the cups pressed tight together, and it leaked.  in fact, i am listening on my imac right now, on volume 5, and leakage is definitely noticeable.  is this bad?  could someone maybe create a video on how much theirs leaks?

 

[amandureja]

bump.  don't hate for bumping.

 

[Kernmac]

Quote:

well, when i took it off, i had the cups pressed tight together, and it leaked.  in fact, i am listening on my imac right now, on volume 5, and leakage is definitely noticeable.  is this bad?  could someone maybe create a video on how much theirs leaks?

Are you serious?  Even if a video could someone replicate the sound leakage volume (which would be totally depenent on how loud the watcher had the volume turned up on their PC) how would this be of any help to you at all.  The amount of actual volume leakage that you experience will depend on your listening conditions uniquely, wouldn't you say?

 EDIT:  And then you bump this stupidiy 9 minutes after you post.

 

[amandureja]

okay sorry.
 
but really, how much leak is about normal on average?

 

[amandureja]

just to be sure, i'm testing in a quiet house.

 

[Kernmac]

Quote:

okay sorry.
 
but really, how much leak is about normal on average?

And how would you like that expressed?  A normal/average DB measure?  If when you take them off your head you wake up your father from 50 feet away then there are several options you could consider:
 
1.Don't take them off your head until you press stop on your source.
2. Turn them down, you are probably damaging your hearing.
3. Buy IEMs, they will leak less.
4. Leave home, your dad will then not be bothered.

 

[amandureja]

Well, I was exaggerating on that one a bit. More like 30 feet? And they were really not that loud at all.

 

[cycro27]

They shouldn't really leak that bad. I use mine in my library at about 50% volume and they don't leak at all. You're probably just testing in an overly quite room.

 

[amandureja]

Yeah I guess.  I'll go to Long and McQuade to see if I got a faulty unit though.

 

[cycro27]

Where are you located? Theres a Long and McQuades rights near me house too

 

[zowki]

My M50s leaks pretty much the same as OP describes. Even on reasonably low volume it still leaks considerably. My room mate can hear my music clearly even though I am listening at less than half volume on an iPod. Is this a problem?